Air crash story and views by K. George John

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace. My life story.

I have experienced God`s amazing grace in my life for almost 80 years and 75 years in the case of Jessie. All of us had no choice of when and where we were born. We had the Amazing Grace of being born and brought up in our families, in peaceful places and country, taught by good teachers in good schools and colleges, interaction with wonderful friends and people, great people to work with. We enjoyed God`s Amazing Grace and Blessings through out our life journey in different experiences of life. The most dramatic of all was the near death experience of surviving the Air Crash in 1973. We have tried to be kind and considerate to people in our life, as a token of our gratitude, but not sure if we did enough. We do not think we can do enough.

My Father.

My father Karachepone John Ninan (K.N.John pet name Yonnachen), was born in a Syrian Christian family, Karachepone in Thuruthikadu, a small village by side of Manimala River. Karachepone was a wing of Maruthikunnu family of Parekattu Kudumbam (ancient house), located on the eastern side of the river. He was the 3^rd of 4 sons and one sister in the family. He was the first to complete Secondary School in the family. His only younger sister was the first in the family to complete High School. She was in Nicholson Girls School, one of the 2 Girls residential English schools in central Travancore (independent Princely State till Indian Independence in 1948).She was married to Mr. Philip Ninan Modayil, who was the Head Master of Kozhencherry High School for many years.

My father could attend the Government middle school in his village Thuruthikadu, but for his High School Study, he had to walk 6 hours(12 kms) to Tiruvalla and back everyday. He studied at the Syrian Christian High School (SCS) of the Marthoma Church. In the final year in 6th form, he stayed in the School Hostel. After classes in the evening he used to visit the Salvation Army Church nearby, to talk with the English man who was the Chief (Commander), to learn good English. This helped him to get a job after he passed his High School in a British Managed Tea Estate in Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu as a Clerk, at the age of 17. With his good command of English he soon got promoted and within a few years became the Superintendent of British managed Tea Estate Devarshola.. This position was in those days given only to English men and he was one of the first Indian in that position. He married when he was 21 to my mother Annamma (Kunjannama) daughter of Kochukunju Upadesi (Preacher) of Kunnuthara family in Keezhvaipur, a village across the river Manimala. She was 16, a primary school teacher after her 5^th Class in a Malayalam School. She joined my father in Nilgiris. The next year my eldest brother Ninan John (Kunjukunju) was born in 1924 (more about him later). By then my father was provided with a motor Bike with a side car. By 1930 he had a car. Before 1940 he bought a small Coffee Estate in Nilgiris. I was born in 1937, the youngest of 5 surviving children (The second son was lost at birth). My mother developed Asthma (breathing difficulty) due the cold climate in the Nilgiris. My father had made much money and had bought several properties in Kerala and a few in Coimbatore. My mother was moved to Coimbatore but it did not help her health. In 1942 the family moved to Tiruvalla in Kerala into an old house and 1 ½ acre property my father had bought in 1930 and named it as `Maruthikunnu` (our family branch name). He added a new wing which had a car shed and granary on the ground floor. It also had an underground cell for storing yams etc. We are living in the same house now. My father sold the Coffee estate when the Coffee priced crashed. He bought a new 1942 model Chevrolet Car for about Rs.8000- from Stanes Coimbatore just before moving to Tiruvalla. After some time, this car was bought by the then Marthoma Syrian Church Presiding Bishop at Tiruvalla. My father started several small business ventures in Tiruvalla, none of which succeeded. In a few years, he lost most of the money he saved. He had to sell properties to meet the expenses of the marriages of my sisters. He took a job as the Secretary of the Estate Staff Association and Union of South India, based in Tiruvalla, with a small office near our home. This job took him round the estates in Kerala and Tamil Nadu at regular intervals. His trips were in our car (1947 Ford). During school vacations, I joined him in some of his trips to the estates. After a few years the office was moved out of Kerala and my father resigned the job. Since he did not have much money he took several jobs as Superintendents of smaller private Tea Estates and in 1960 joined the same Estate in Nilgiris (now under private ownership) Devarshola, where he worked for several years till 1940. My youngest sister Valsamma was married in Conoor when he was working there again in 1060.We celebrated their 50^th anniversary, with all the surviving siblings and 2 grand children, in the same church in Conoor in 2010. We also visited the Estate Factory and Bungalow we all lived as children.

My father developed health problems and died in 1962 at the CMC hospital Vellore after a surgery. His body was brought to Tiruvalla and buried at the St Thomas Church in Tiruvalla. There were no ambulances, mortuary or mobile freezers in 1962. I was in Trivandrum the day he died; testing Company’s spraying equipments for a large government order. My mother was alone at the hospital. My cousin brother at Chennai was informed and he told me to get to Tiruvalla and arrange for the funeral next morning. He said he will complete all formalities and bring my mother and my father’s body in an Ambassador car. This was not an easy task. At that time I did not know that his wife was leaving the same evening by train to Trivandrum for her first delivery (they were married in 1961). The parish vicar agreed to drop her at the train. The road in the Western Ghat section was blocked that night by a mud slide in the rain. Large number of vehicles was held up on both sides. Work was in progress clearing debris under police control. My cousin went by foot to the breach spot and talked to the police officer. He agreed that the vehicle with the body will be allowed across first and would be even escorted to a safe distance. In 1962 there were no cell phones and no phone booths on country roads. All arrangements were made ready for the funeral by my friends, but there was no news about when the body will arrive. A crowd of relatives and friends were anxiously waiting at our residence and we got the first Telegraphic message at about 7 am that they expect to reach by 8 am. The funeral was held by 9/30 am about an hour after the arrival of the body. I want to recall 2 incidents of that day. My friends promised to make all the arrangements for the funeral were at the grave yard. Pachara Panikkan (our mason) and a helper were engaged with a helper to build the Tomb. I arrived from Trivandrum after getting the large order around 11 at night. They sent me home for some rest. Around mid night they went to bring some coffee for the workers, leaving one friend behind. When they returned after mid night they found my friend sitting on a nearby tomb dazed. He told others that an evil spirit is holding him down and he is not able to get up. They found out that the back of his shirt was caught on a nail on the tomb. Next morning my friends who did not sleep the previous night, were waiting at my home for the body to arrive. One of them weighing about 80 kgs, suddenly swooned and my fathers` younger brother standing next to him managed to hold him from a fall. After some sprinkling of cold water he revived and was taken home to rest. Loss of my father was a big shock for me as our mother was alone in Tiruvalla and I was posted in Madurai. My company promoted and posted me to Tiruvalla with a vehicle and driver and permitted me to operate from my home. This is another of the Amazing Grace of God I was granted.

About my brother.

My brother was the eldest and like all of us children studied in Boarding Schools as there were no schools near the Estate my father worked in Nilgiris. He studied in MTHS in Kottayam and SCS Tiruvalla like my father, but was in the boarding home. He was a good a sportsman and did not give much attention to studies. He changed several colleges and was last in American College Madurai, from where he graduated. He fell in love with a younger student in college and married her in 1951. He had no job and lived with us. He was in several small business ventures including vintage car sales and lost a lot of money (mostly from our father) I remember a 2 seater German car with a noisy 2 stroke air cooled engine and only one rear wheel which was an attraction in our small town,Tiruvalla. He also enjoyed going for shooting to the back waters with my father’s 12 bore double barrel gun and bring home snipes and other water birds in season. He was in schools and colleges when my father had plenty of money and did not seem to know the value of money. My brother was a simple person with lots of friends and was also the one of the sponsors of the Tiruvalla Town Football Club, which won many tournaments around Tiruvalla. He was a lovable brother for me as a pre teen boy. After marriage he started an ice cream parlor in Karaikudi near Devakottai, where his wife’s family lived. He soon developed stomach problems and went to Stanley Hospital in Chennai, where his classmate was a doctor. They operated on him but could not do much and he was brought back home in Tiruvalla, a few weeks later he died at the age of 28. I was only 14 yrs old at his death. His girl child, Reeni, was about 1 year old and his wife Becky was only about 21 years of age. Becky (Rebecca) left the baby with her mother and decided to continue her college studies and got B.A.Hns and BT degrees from Annamalai University. She was married again and both were teachers. Reeni grew up with her grand mother. Reeni lives now in Ney York with her husband David and they have no children. Her mother lives in Trivandrum, having lost her husband a few years back. She has a son by the second marriage, who is married and is a teacher at the Rishi Valley School. His parents worked in this school for a long period. His mother is still a member of the Board of Directors of this prestigious school. His life and premature death, was a sad phase of life for my parents and the rest of the family.

Child hood memory of Tiruvalla.

In 1943 when our family moved to Tiruvalla. my youngest sister Valsa was admitted into the 6^th standard in SCS, which was a mixed school while I was in Kindergarten and both of us stayed with our parents at home. The elder 2 sisters Lilly and Marykutty continued in the Boarding home of Nicolson Girls High School, 3 Kms away. I was very mischievous and had fights with my youngest sister, since only two of us children were home. Sometimes I hurt my younger sister, ending in her crying and me getting caning by my father. My eldest sister Mary was able to chase and catch me and give me nice pinching or slaps, if I tried any tricks with her. My second sister Lilly was quiet and unlike other sisters, not much of help with home chores. She read books, did some fabric painting and cross stitching. (The other sisters were also good at painting and stitching, learned from their school). They were home with us only during holidays. After kindergarten I joined SCS middle school in 5^th class known as preparatory class. I started picking petty sums from my parents and treated my friends with toffees and some times enjoyed ice cream or milk shake with few friends from the only parlor called Pothirikkans. Since Tiruvalla was a small town and almost everyone knew each other, my father got news updates most days. He then decided to send me to St Thomas Boarding School in Keezhillam, run by our church, which was considered a reformatory for boys. My sister Valsamma was also sent to the Nicolson Girls Boarding school for her High School. This was around 1946 by then my eldest sister was in Women’s Christian College in Madras in Chennai. She was the President of the students union in 1947 and had the privilege of hoisting the National flag on the first Independence Day.

Another memory of Tiruvalla is ofKurisummoottil family. Kunjavarachen`s brother Pappichettan, who owned St George Motors, a bus service from Tiruvalla to Elapara (3000ft elevation) in the western Ghats. After his death his wife successfully operated the bus service for many more years. Ammal who was killed in a sensational case mentioned earlier was from this family. We used to get our supplies of so called English vegetables (carrots, cabbage, beetroot, beans etc), twice a moth, through their bus from Elapara. Since our family lived in the Nilgiris (6000 ft elevation) we were fond of the cold climate vegetables, which were not available those days in Tiruvalla

The 2nd world war days Petrol was rationed by monthly coupons to car owners. Only very few had cars in Tiruvalla.. The busses had open body. The Kottayam bus started from near the Cross junction and Kozhencherry from SCS junction in Tiruvalla. The 2 seats next to the driver were VIP seats. Next row was for Ladies. The back was inward seats on all 4 sides with open space in the centre for standing passengers and their goods. Only the Kili (cleaner boy) had permission to stand on the foot board. The bus stand in Kottayam was in the Tirunakkara Maidan from where you had to take another bus for northern towns like Alwaye etc.

Medical Facilities were very limited in Tiruvalla in the 40s and 50s. There were no specialty doctors and each was a General Practitioner, Physician, Surgeon, Gynecologist etc., all in one.The medicine often was carbonative mixture or such medicines the Compounder prepared on doctor’s prescription or pills. The present Tiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital was small. It was started by Divan Bahadur Dr Varghese then known as the Velia Baby, and was served by a well known Physician Dr, Somewell of CMC Vellore fame. There was a special ward called Aniyan`s Ward, which was a long school like building at the back with tiled floor with verandas on either side.There were no fans in any rooms,in the hospital. There was no fans,phones or Radio even in our home.

I was only 5 years old when I was put into the Balikamadam Girls Boarding School at Tirumoolapurm in 1^st standard. There were 2 residential girls school in Tiruvalla, started by British ladies, Ms. Nicolson and Balikamadam by Ms. Brook Smith. Balikamadam admitted boys in primary school. One of my memories from this period is the ride on the cross bar of cycle with my uncle during short holidays to my ancestral home in Thuruthikadu about 14 kms away and back. My bottom pained for days after the rough ride in spite of a cushion on the cross bar. I remember being held down in the Manimala River by my aunt to clean my scabies infested legs by the tiny fishes. In just 4 days of this treatment scabies heal dry. All people residing near the rivers washed cloths and bathed in the river. Boys till age 12 jumped into the river naked leaving all cloths on the sand bank. Except during Monsoon months from June to September, the river is shallow. I learned swimming during summer holidays in the shallows. Few deep areas were used by good swimmers. The women used specific areas which boys and men were barred from. Women of all ages washed cloths and bathed half naked in rural areas in rivers or ponds. On another short holiday I was taken to my Aunty`s house in Mallapally 14 kms away and back in a Bullock Cart (Villu Vandi) which took 4 hours each way. Villu Vandy (Bullock carts with plate springs suspension) was the mode of transport for the well to do families. We were all in boarding homes and for longer holidays I traveled with the 3 sisters to Nilgiris. The eldest Marykutty was in charge and she knew how to manage the group. Our journey started by Bus from Tiruvalla to Kottayam. At Kottayam we changed bus for Alwaye. The bus journey was through hilly roads, via Koothattukulam and Moovatrtupuzha, with many hairpin bends. Some of us vomited due to motion sickness. It took many hours and we were exhausted by the time we reached Alwaye. From Alwaye much to our relief and joy, we board the train overnight to Coimbatore. Our father picks us up at the station in his car to take us home in Devarshola in Nilgiris. Imagine the plight of my eldest sister in escorting 3 younger siblings, every holiday up and down. We enjoyed the holidays at the estate walking the fields, roaming trough the 4 floors of the tea factory. I remember my second sister Lilly used to close her eyes when we passed in our car bellow a large rock leaning half way over the road. On a few occasions father dropped us by car to Tiruvalla. The journey involved long drive across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. River Periyar near Alwaye had to be crossed by Ferry (Jankar) at Chouwara. There were not many hotels on our way and we carried packed food and stopped near streams to eat. This was very enjoyable child hood memory of that period.

By 1943 my father moved family to Tiruvalla and I was enrolled in the prestigious S.C.S.Kinder Garten School in 2^nd standard. The school was located on the east side of SCS hill, where the present B.Ed College is functioning. There were only about 10 to 12 students in my class mostly girls. One of them Leela used to come to school in a Villu Vandi. Her mother was an English Lady who was married to son of Rev V.P.Mammen who was residing near Nicolson school. I can remember only one boy, who was in class with me ,Mr. P.G.Cherian, Poothikotte, now a planter, who lives in Tiruvalla. I can remember only 4 or 5 girls including the Ammini sister of Ammal, who was murdered in Tiruvalla in a sensational case. The East side of the school was a paddy field (where the present stadium is located) which could be crossed on bunds (only during summer) to the side where the Pushpagiri Hospital is now located. My youngest sister Valsa was admitted into the 6^th standard in SCHS, which was a mixed school. Both of us stayed with our parents at home. The elder 2 sisters Lilly and Marykutty continued in the Boarding home of Nicolson Girls High School, 3 Kms away. I was very mischievous and had fights with my youngest sister Valsamma, since only two of us children were home. Sometimes I hurt my younger sister, ending in her crying and me getting caning by my father. Once I picked up from my father’s tin of Players cigarettes and both of us went up the attic to try smoking. We ended up coughing and gave up and were not caught. My eldest sister Marykutty was able to chase and catch me and give me nice pinching or spanking, if I tried any tricks with her. My second sister Lilly was quiet and not much of help with home cores. They were home with us only during holidays. After kindergarten I joined SCS middle school in 5^th class known as Preparatory class. I started picking petty sums from my parents and treated my friends with toffees and some times enjoyed ice cream or milk shake with few friends from the only parlor called Pothirikkans. Since Tiruvalla was a small town and almost everyone knew each other, my father got news updates most days. He then decided to send me to St Thomas Boarding School in Keezhillam, run by our church, which was considered a reformatory for boys. My sister Valsamma was also sent to the Nicolson Girls Boarding school for her High School. This was around 1946 by then my eldest sister was in Women’s Christian College in Madras (Chennai). She was the Students Union President in 1947 and was given the privilege of hoisting the national flag. All my sisters were graduate teachers with B.T.digrees.

Another memory of Tiruvalla is about the Chanda Thode (market canal), close to our house. This was an important commercial link by water to Kuttanadu and Alleppy. Kettu Valloms (large boats made of wooden planks stitched together by coir ropes and greased) were used to transport Paddy and commercial goods to and from Alleppy and other locations to Tiruvalla Market terminal. The water was clean and was used by all for bathing, swimming and fishing during summer .It is now filled with water plants, plastic waste and mud and is un usable. The commercial goods brought through the Chanda Thode were transported inland by Bullock Carts. I remember 3 families who maintained good bullocks and made a living by transporting goods. They were healthy young men who themselves loaded and unloaded goods on contract.

The world war time Travancore faced very severe food grain shortage. In the boarding homes we had to eat poor quality ration rice, wheat, course grains Bajra, Jowar etc. As small children we could not complain, but older children like my sisters wrote letters home, having to eat closing the nose with one hand due to smelly rice, bajra, Jowar etc (exaggerations). Common people also had to supplement rice with wheat, yams, tapioca, jackfruit in season. There was shortage all around. The rural women were very hard working and innovative. They made sun dried powder to make porridge of arrow root plants growing wild in the riverside lands and from kernels of mango and core of palm tree trunks, for making Puttu (steamed with shredded coconut inside a piece of bamboo), to replace rice. Sun dried ripe bananas (Nendran), sun dried mango bars (made from local varieties of ripe mangos),salted ripe and raw mangos, all of which were used for many months. All parts of Jack fruit (the kernels, seeds, the core and even the raw outer part) was used as food. Anything left was cattle feed. Most rural homes had cows for milk and back yard poultry and a few ducks for meat and eggs. Fresh meat or fish could not be bought. On special occasions like weddings or Christmas a calf was slaughtered and portions taken on cost sharing basis. All the fresh fish were caught from the local river, ponds or streams. A wide variety of sun dried salted fish was popular food supplement and was available in most rural markets. The men folks worked hard in the small holdings, cultivating Tapioca, Yams of many kinds and vegetables. Coconuts harvested once every 45 days almost round the year, provided regular income until Rubber was introduced in 1950s to small farmers. Larger farmers, sun dried their coconuts to make Copra, transported it to the main markets by river or bullock carts to sell it. Some crushed their copra in the local bullock driven wooden oil extraction device (called Chakku), for their own use. Weekly trip by foot to the nearby market was a must for most farmers for news, to sell their produce and buy house hold requirements, including dry fish. There were very few motorable roads in rural areas, but there were few cart tracks for bullock carts or used the river for transport to coastal town markets. During AprilMay the pre monsoon storms will bring down most ripe local varieties of Mangos and the children (and adults) scramble to collect them even during storms. The surplus is preserved in brine for many moths` use The 2nd world war days Petrol was rationed by monthly coupons to car owners. Only very few had cars in Tiruvalla. I could think of only Mr.I.C.Chacko, Dr. George Kuruvilla, Col. Varghese, Mr.C.P.Jacob Chalakuzy, St George Pappichettan and only a few others owned cars in Tiruvalla in those days. We had a brand new Chevrolet 1942 model car bought for a price of around 8000- rupees. Even as late as 1952 a new Morris Minor car was sold for Rs.7777-. In 1950s, Hindustan Motors in Calcutta started making Cars (Morris -10, later as Hindustan 10, fore runner to Hindustan Ambassador). During the war days all buses were run on coal gas and tall twin cylindrical devices were fitted at the back of the bus to gasify the coal. It had to be lit and hand cranked to make enough gas before it could be started. The busses had open body. The Kottayam bus started from near the Cross junction and Kozhencherry from SCS junction in Tiruvalla. The 2 seats next to the driver were VIP seats. Next row was for Ladies. The back was inward seats on all 4 sides with open space in the centre for standing passengers and their goods. Only the Kili (cleaner boy) had permission to stand on the foot board. The bus stand in Kottayam was in the Tirunakkara Maidan from where you had to take another bus for northern towns like Alwaye etc.

Medical Facilities were very limited in Tiruvalla in the 40s and 50s. There were no specialty doctors and each was a General Practitioner, Physician, Surgeon and Gynecologist etc., all in one.The medicine often was carbonative mixture or such medicines the Compounder prepared on doctor’s prescription or pills. The present Tiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital was small.It was started by Divan Bahadur Dr Varghese then known as the Velia Baby, and was served by a well known Physician Dr, Somewell of CMC Vellore fame. There was a special ward called Aniyan`s Ward, which was a long school like building at the back with tiled floor with verandas on either side? This ward or other rooms had no fans. After Dr Somewell left, the hospital was handed over to the Brethren Church who runs it even now as Tiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital. It is now a modern Hospital with many new buildings and modern medical facilities. Causality/ Emergency Facility, fully air conditioned Consulting and Waiting rooms, Operation Theaters, recovery rooms, clinical labs etc. The Government Hospital was functioning at the same location as today with a few qualified doctors on Government service.It had separate general wards for men and women. There was a pay ward with few rooms but otherwise, served the public free of cost. More often there was no stock of medicine and one had to buy it from medical stores outside.The only other Hospital in the 40s was the GK Hospital and dispensary owned by Dr.George Kuruvilla. He was known as Doctor Kochu Baby. The hospital was small with limited rooms/ beds and located at Kavumbhagom, at the west end of Tiruvalla. This was with a view to help the poor families from Chathankeri and Mepral area, often affected by floods in rainy season. Dr.Kuruvilla was from a wealthy family in Mepral. He served the poor with much compassion and also free of cost in deserving cases. The hospital has operation theatre, ICU, and other medical facilities and have added new wing with more beds and room in recent times. It is now run by his son Dr.Thomas Kuruvilla MD from Vellore and his son Dr Manoj Kuruvilla also an MD from CMC Vellore..

By 50s the Pushpagiri Hospital was started by the Catholic Church. It developed to a large modern Hospital facility fast and was later made into a Medical College. They have all the Medical specialties of a modern Medical College. It now has Nursing College, Dental College, College of Physio Therapy, and Pharmacy College in a separate Complex called Medi City about 4 Kms away.

Latest in the medical service field in Tiruvalla is the Believers Church Hospital at Varicadu, about 4 kms away from town with ultra modern facilities started just 2 years ago. Few large buildings are ready for a Medical College sanctioned for this hospital. They have brought many senior doctors from well known hospitals like CMC Vellore, CMC Ludhiana, and Manipal Medical College etc. The hospital facilities are modern and well maintained. The service is good and the cost very reasonable. Bishop K.P.Yohannan who is the Head of the Believers Church, wants it to be the best in Kerala. He is well known for his ability to implement new Mega Projects he plans.

Life in Keezhillam Boarding school.

I was only 11 years of age when I was sent to the then well known St Thomas School Boarding Home in Keezhillam, a small village near Moovattupuzha about 100 kms away from Tiruvalla. We were cut off from the rest of the world except for few local boys who attended the school. The life there taught me to be independent, to focus on studies and to be content with what you have. I developed good friendship with many from well known families in Travancore area who sent their Boys to this Boarding Home. The Boys Scout experience, particularly the Camps in isolated hills nearby was a very useful experience in life. I had only one problem of night wetting of bed, which I could not overcome till the age of 13. We sleep on mats on the floor and my close friends who sleep next to me protected my secret till I left boarding home 3 years later. I also learned to play football and was good at it. The school was famous for strict discipline and caning was severe for any violation. I managed for 2 years without being caned but the 3^rd year I got caught once with a few friends in indulging in naughty action of damaging garden plants. I enjoyed the Boarding school life and it did teach me to be disciplined in life.

Back to SCS as a disciplined Boy.

I returned to Tiruvalla for my High School at the Syrian Christian School. I was in the junior school football team and all the 3 years and participated in state interschool tournaments. We were runner up in one year. We had only Football, Volleyball and Ball Badminton as regular field games. I was a small boy in shorts till I finished 6^th Form (High School) and did not play Volleyball. Other popular games in school during recess etc were Marble, Raw Cashewnut in holes made in mud and Kilithattu which is a indigenous vigorous team sport, played in loose mud with lines made by foot. Another hobby was making reed guns and shooting friends in school and sometimes girls with a plant fruit, which made a cracking noise. Self made Catapults were used to for trying to hit squirrels or birds. I tried my father’s gun to shoot a crow and it just flew away and my mother came running hearing a gun shot and scolded me. I have much respect for the fine teachers who taught us in high school. This was also the time of my life when some interest to the opposite sex started. I had good marks in school though I did not study much at home. There was some kind of rivalry for the top academic marks between 4 of us, 2 boys and 2 girls. I had a special feeling for one of the girls and I knew that she also liked me, but we never talked to each other in privacy during school. We separated into colleges far away and never developed any closer relationship. A friendly relationship was maintained and I have met and talked to her even in adulthood.

AllahabadDays.

Straight from school I went to Allahabad Agricultural Institute at that time one of the best Agricultural college, run on American model. Most others who joined had been to the college for 2 years.

Medium of instruction for students from outside UP were English. Like 2 others who joined straight after School, could not understand, speak or write much in English. To make things worse there were a few Americans teaching us. The 2 others (both my room mates) could not pass the first year and had to leave the college. By second year I could manage English well. Like many foreign students, we from outside UP were expecting us to be exempted from Hindi. Most of us failed in Hindi but was allowed to continue. The first year students were only accommodated in the Old Hostel, a massive mogul style building with large rooms and thick walls. Diary diploma students (the diary farm was next to it) were accommodated in this hostal. Second year onwards the students were given double seated rooms, and seniors single rooms, in the New Hostel, built like many US college hostels, with good common toilets and bath rooms. The food was served in a Cafeteria with a wide variety of food (Veg and Non Veg) to choose from, on payment by coupons. The coupons for 10 rupees have to be purchased and cost of food taken is removed from it at the end of the counter. Three main meals and 2 snacks are served every day, during fixed times. There was a separate private mess in the old hostel for the conservative UP students with limited vegetarian menu. Most of us south Indians and foreign students will choose good food and spend about Rs.100- per month. Many students from UP etc will manage with roti and dhal and spend only about Rs.40- each moth. We will find ourselves out of money by last week of most months to buy coupons. Then we move to the old hostel mess, as the contractor will give credit. Most of us used to get about Rs150- per month we had to pay hostel and college fees, see one or two movies with dinner in the city. To save money we hire cycles to go to the city, but were afraid of thugs from neighboring village on the long bridge across river Yamuna. Usually they do not bother the Ag students as some of the village boys also study in the college. We always arrange to come back at night in groups to be safe. There was much sports activity and by 2^nd year I was a in the Basketball `B` team. Next year I was in the `A` team and we won most of the local league tournaments. I was also selected to represent the Allahabad University and in the final year made the captain of the University Basketball team. Both the years we lost in Inter University tournaments. I was awarded the College Colors for Basketball, Football and the university Colors for Basketball. Our girl’s team also won many local basketball tournaments. We enjoyed coaching them and taking them out for the tournaments to the city colleges and back in the college Pickup vans. I was also involved in Students Christian Movement and was the secretary during my final year. I got involved so much in these extra curricular activities that I neglected my studies. I barely passed the final B.Sc examination but I did not have much academic knowledge when I left the college. We had many students from other countries and many from Ceylon (Sri Lanka). They were friendly with south Indians. We learned many things from the foreign students and we had friendly relationship with most of them. The college also had a women’s wing which offered 2 year diploma course in Home Science and 1 year diploma for women graduates. The girls had separate mess and hostel but were together for the evening games and freely mingled with boys till 7 pm, when they had to be in their hostels. Girls hostel was visible from the men`s New Hostel. One popular ragging new students was to direct them to the girls hostel instead of college office and signal the girls hostel. They would be ready on their terrace with buckets of water to duck them and their baggage in the Cycle Rickshaw, which was the main mode of transport from the city. Many functions including introduction dinner and other special occasions were held together with girls. On week ends the girls were allowed to go to the city in groups with boys, but had to return before 10 pm. Table tennis and Shuttle had mixed doubles in tournaments and the girls were allowed to come for practice. I had the privilege of partnering an American teen Ms. Ann Longmore, daughter of our professor and won the College Table Tennis tournament. The staff and their family were also involved in all such social activities and sports and games. They also invited students in small groups to their homes. Many of them were Americans or had American Degrees. The life was like a Campus in USA and very liberal. No one misused the freedom. Cemented Tennis court was exclusively for the staff but during short holidays we managed to get old balls and bats and learned to play. During one of the long summer breaks I also stayed back with few others from South and had much fun, learning plowing and other operations using different agricultural machinery in our 1000 acre farm. It was dusty and hot at that time of the year, but we enjoyed it. We also had more opportunities at this time to play and learn more tennis in the staff court. We also enjoyed drinking fresh Palmira toddy from the farms nearby early in the morning. This was a refreshing start for the hot summer day.

Athletic training.

Our college had short term training for rural leaders. On one of such programmes, Madan Lal, a middle aged farmer from Punjab, started training a small group of us in middle distance running and self defense using sticks. Others were Punjabis and I was the only south Indian. Others were not at all athletic and I was the only one who played some games. I had no idea how I got involved in this group. He was a good trainer and made us run starting from 1600 meters slowly increasing to 4000 meters every day. We had self defense training everyday in the evening. In the college sports, 3 of us from the group won all three positions in 800, 1600 and 3200 meters race. I came first in 1600 meters and second and third in the other 2 events. He was with us only for 3 months but made us understand the value of hard work and determination. Very valuable traits in life.

Budni Training.

I was always interested in Agricultural implements and had some exposure during my summer stint, with farm tractors and machinery. After finishing college I joined a 6 moth intensive training in Tractors and Auricularal Machinery at the Central Tractor Testing and Training Centre at Budni. This centre was near Housangabad in Madhya Pradesh in a remote Army Barracks of IInd world war. To reach the place one had to walk about 6 kms from Housangabad crossing river Narmada on Rail Bridge. Budni had a small station to serve few isolated settlements inside the forest, but only 2 passenger trains stopped there during day time. Beyond the station it was all thick reserve forests all the way to Bhopal 50 kms away, nearest big city. We were about 30 trainees, mostly tractor owning educated farmers. The training was on heavy bulldozers, all kinds of large agricultural implements. We had to learn to operate them and also dismantle and assemble them including the gear box and engines. The training included clearing of big forest trees with very heavy bulldozers and preparing the fields for cultivation. We were divided into small groups of four.. We enjoyed the tough schedule. We had some recreation like table tennis and shuttle after work. There were only a small number of staff, a few with their families and the trainees in the campus. We had one ex army trainee with a 12 bore gun and a few went with him for hunting at night in the reserve forests. I was one of them who went with him. We leave after dinner around 8 pm with 2 or 3 powerful flash lights. Some times we get a deer in our farm itself within 30 minutes, before we enter the forest area. Some days we roam for hours in the forest paths finding nothing. Once we got a heavy wild boar and we carried it on a pole. We lost our way and had no idea where we were. Early morning we heard dogs barking and we knew that we were near human habitation. We got direction from a small settlement in the forest and had to walk back 10 kms carrying the heavy wild bore. This was an experience to remember. Another night we shot a large animal near a small pond by the railway line inside the forest. We searched the area for an hour and could not find anything.. We went back to search next morning and found a huge Blue bull with gun shot. We could only bring 2 hind legs as it was too heavy for 4 of us to carry. The campus had plenty of wild meat for two weeks. In the sports event at the end of the training, I won the cross country race through the forest and our farm. My training at Allahabad helped much. We also went on some week ends into the forest to bath in the large rocky stream with many pools. Many families of otters were living in this stream. It was fun watching the otters at play and we enjoyed the cold water swim in the forest pools with them. I enjoyed the training and was one of the best trainees in the batch.

Rajasthan stint.

AS it was difficult to get employment with the Kerala Government as the first batch of graduates from the new college in Trivandrum were given priority. My friend Bagda, an agriculture engineer from our college asked me to come over to Jaipur. He was from a conservative Jain family, who lived with two other married brothers and his mother, in a 4 storey family building called Bagda Bhavan in Jaipur Main Street. I lived with them as a member of their family, eating their traditional food, sitting on floor together around a coal hearth. Freshly made roti with wheat or other grains in various shapes were cooked over fire and served one by one in turn by the ladies. A few vegetables were served in a thali as side dish. My friend Bagda used his influence and got me a job in the Horticulture Department of Rajasthan Government in 10 days. I just enjoyed the food and hospitality of my friends` family. I was posted to Kota a small town near Chambal River where a large dam was under construction. There were no good hotels or restaurants but only Dhabas or small eating places. Kotta is now a major Industrial city in Rajasthan after the Chambal project was completed in 1960. I was posted to assist the State Fruit Development Officer. All the Gov. Fruit Gardens in the state were under him. He was a fat middle aged person who enjoyed his local drink every evening after work. Two of us his assistants and his driver had to make the arrangements. We also joined him occasionally. The Rajasthan Government had many distilleries and brewed 4 different grades of alcoholic drinks in different names and colors. They were sold through kiosks in every town in the state. The best called Kasthuri was only about Rs.15 for a full bottle and the cheapest Gulabi was about Rs.7-. Except the conservative Jains, most other people in Rajasthan, particularly the Jats drink alcohol most days. They are all happy with government brew which is cheap and easily available all over the state. I had the opportunity to go around with the officer all over Rajasthan visiting Govt. Hort. Gardens in every district. Since I was traveling with him, I had no difficulty for accommodation and food. On one trip we were caught in a flash flood on a Causeway and our vehicle was in fast flowing water. We escaped by pushing the vehicle backwards before it was it was carried downstream. We crossed the river after3 hours when the water receded. I could not meet my expenses with my poor salary and I decided to resign and go back home after 6 months. I did enjoy my short stint in Rajasthan and was a good learning process.

In Shaw Wallace

By end of 1959 I got a job as a fertilizer salesman in Shaw Wallae & Co Ltd. My cousin K.N.George, the founder director of the Madras School of Social works knew many corporate personnel managers. He sent to see Mr. Allen De`Sousa and he took me to Mr.V.S.Menon, the chief of finance for Madras branch. They had a few vacancies in Tamil Nadu and I said I can handle Tamil. They posted me to Trichy Regional office. Trichy RSE sent me for a month’s training to Tinnevelly with a senior Salesman. After the training I was posted to Madurai to cover also Ramnadu District. I was fortunate that the Madurai had a big Distributor, C.Natarajan Bros. The eldest brother Mr.Natarajan took a liking for me. He taught me proper Tamil as I did not know any grammar but cold talk and understand Tamil. They operated a number of depots in the villages of Madurai district. There was irrigation for two crops a season from Vaigai project. They had a Jeep for village propaganda, laid demonstration plots and conducted village campaigns. I improved my language skills and learned much in these village campaigns. After a few months Mr.Natarajan left the entire operation under my control. Outside their territory I traveled by public busses as we were not motorized then. I stayed in a single room with no running water, common toilet and bathed in the open terrace, in a crowded area, near Madurai station. I was able to generate substantial sale for plant protection equipment in Madurai and Ramnadu districts, which no other could match on an all India basis. I was awarded several awards. I could achieve this due my mechanical inclination, CN Bros support and hard work. This also helped me to be promoted and posted to look after the plantation sales in S.India. I was based from my own home in Kerala in consideration of my fathers death, in 1962.. Since I had to cover a large area in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, a company vehicle and driver was provided. I was traveling an average of 40000 kms per year returning late at night through dangerous roads.

Plantation Corpporation of Kerala Job.

Since my mother was alone at home I decided to take a stationary job. I managed to get a job as an Assistant Superintendent in the Plantation Corporation of Kerala in 1964. I was posted to Adirapally division with the most troublesome labour force. Two sides were reserve forests with elephant herds and wild animals. One side was the Chalakudy River down the famous Adirapally water fall. The plantation was in the early stages and there no proper living quarters. We all had to stay in the labour lanes, one room as kitchen and the other as our living and bed room. No toilets or bath rooms and could manage as we were on the river bank. The water was cold and refreshing to bathe and clean with no pollution up stream. We used the water for drinking and cooking. The majority of workers were controlled by the CPM union and others under Congress. The CPM workers were troublesome, mostly residing in the labour lines and resisted close supervision. Most workers under Congress union were from a village 6 kms away near Kalady, were catholic Christians and came walking for work. They were willing to work but were afraid of the CPM workers. Except the river side the fields were on steep hill sides, with many perennial streams. Within a short time I was familiar with every nook and corner of all fields. I surprised them with 3 or 4 inspection every day at all work spots. The trouble makers tried to provoke me with abusive or threatening comments. They even tried to entice me with young women workers. I made sure I was fair, compassionate, but strict and did not compromise with work standards. They also saw me working hard, inspecting every work spots both morning and afternoon sessions. I knew short cuts to the fields and where the fresh springs were to drink. I made sure no one saw me and caught many resting at work time. I was able remove a spade from a group sitting and chatting at work time. They knew they can not escape punitive action. The trouble makers were identified and assigned specific works like night duty for elephant scaring in a few elevated shelters made for this purpose. I went checking them alone after mid night, without using my flash light and caught many sleeping. On one occasion I carried away their gun, while they were sleeping and they were in great trouble. Soon they gave up their efforts to tease me and carried out their assigned work well. Three assistant Managers were staying together in my division. We hired a cook and used one room for cooking and dining. We also cultivated some vegetables on river side. Everything had to be purchased from Chalakudy 18 kms away. The bus route was on the northern side of the river and there was no bridge. The only access was through the reserve forest though mud road on the southern side of the river. Only other motorable road through the estate to Kalady was 20 kms away. Our only independent transport to out side, was an old Army model Bullet 350 belonging to Mr.P.G.Thomas one of the two Asst Managers staying with me. It had no rear shock absorbers and it was tough riding on the rough forest road. On a few occasions I used it for week end visits to my mother in Tiruvalla. The body will ache for one week after the trip. Once the drive chain broke. The Estate Black smith Sreedharan who was an exceptionally skilled person, offered to make a link to replace the broken one. He made it by hand and we could not make it out from the rest of original links. It served us well till I left an year later. I appointed him as a field mechanic in Shaw Wallace a few years, later. I enjoyed our stay together in completely isolated place, with river bath two or three times a day, eating freshly caught fish, the hard field work and managing a difficult work force. I received a letter from my previous boss in Shaw Wallace, Mr. Hall,asking if I am willing to join back the company, to introduce the Power Sprayer range of sprayers. He also informed me that the company is willing to keep me in Tiruvalla in view of my mother being alone. I agreed to consider this offer and called on him at Madras. He offered me a promotion to next grade and big increase in salary. So I resigned from Plantation Corporation and agreed to join Shaw Wallace again on 1^st of March 1965. My marriage was fixed for Feb 5^th and I needed the time to make arrangements. I was married to Jessie daughter of Mr. Isaac Mathew and Alyamma, who was born and brought up at Coimbatore. She was then teaching in Bangalore ,after her B.Sc (home science) and BT. She had a tough time learning the ways of Kerala, tending the cows and chicken. She also had to cope with my being away with work connected to field trials and demonstrations of the new power sprayers. Some times I was away for a week or more. Even when I was home I had to spend hours at night to service the new Minimicron sprayers, brought from fields mid way during spraying season. We had sold a few hundreds of these in the first season and many were breaking down midway during Rubber spraying. By this time I had the help of Mechanic Sreedharan. I was allowed to employ a local driver Kochupappan on Company rolls and he was also of much help. In 1969 the Company asked me to consider moving to Madras for my own progress. I agreed and moved to Madras and was promoted to the next grade. I had more travel in store. I covered Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, parts of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states. I had many trips by road, some times for weeks and was to use the pool of company drivers in our Madras office. Many places had no proper Lodging facilities and had to use PWD guest houses, if available. Good food was also a problem. Road side Dhabas were often our hope. The drivers shared my accommodation and we ate together, whatever was available. We also had to face many tough situations on long lonely roads. Once our vehicle had to be toed to workshop in Nagpur. Luckily we were not too far from Nagpur. It took 3 days to repair the vehicle. I admire and thank the drivers who were with me, on these long trips. I remember some of them with gratitude, Kandhaswami, Muniswamy. Arogya Das, Muthu, Sampangi and Speedy Chandran. Chandran earned this name by winning twice the South Indian Car rally driving for Philip Lavender, an executive in Shaw Wallace. Third time they lost their brakes downhill from Kodaikanal and he drove all the way to Dindigul, without brakes safely. Chandran was my last company driver and was almost a part of my family. All the company drivers were given a golden handshake and all eligible executives were given driver allowance, to engage their own drivers. Chandran continued to be in touch with me. After we moved back to Kerala in 1992 Chandran died. Chandran was much more than a driver to us His two sons are still in touch with us. The younger son has a large collection of coins worth a few lakhs. I was able to attend a grand wedding of his daughter in Chennai, a few years earlier.

In Shaw Wallace after moving to Madras in 1969 I traveled all over South India for 3 hectic years. I was then promoted and posted as the Manager of Plant Protection Department. Within 2 years I was again promoted and posted as Area Manager for Agri Division for Tamil Nadu and Kerala. During this period an old classmate of mine from Allahabad Mr.Benjamin,,joined us from Tea Plantations in Assam. His wife Bulbul (Naintara) was from Malavia family in Allahabad. Some time in 1972 our company decided to introduce the then new management concept Management by Objectives (MBO) in Agri Division. They were looking for a manager with wide acceptance among all levels of executives in the Division and in line function. I was asked if I would accept this challenging job. I thought it would be a good opportunity to get some formal training in Management and accepted it. First I was sent for a few short term programmes of IIM Calcutta, IIM Ahmadabad and 2 month Sr. Managers programme of the Staff College Hyderabad. Our consultant Fr.Joe Britto took me Kodaikanal for 14 days` intensive personal coaching in MBO. Then I was to go with him to UK,to be trained by the then well known expert on MBO Mr. John Humble. .On my way to Delhi on 31^st May 1972 ,by the evening Indian Airlines flight I took to Delhi, crashed about 12 kms outside Delhi airport ,in a sand storm. 48 of the 65 occupants died on the spot and I was one of the 17 survivors. (More of the story is given elsewhere). The trip to UK was aborted and 3 months later I assumed duty as the MBO advisor for Agri Division with a promotion This was a tough assignment, as I had to sit with about 50 executives/managers, some above me in position, and help them analyse their jobs. Identify the Purpose of their job, Key Result Areas and Objectives in measurable terms. Most opened up with me, but few took longer to yield. Eventually I succeeded to get the whole Division to formalize and document each job in the Division. I had to further train each one to review themselves and also do performance appraisal for each executive/ manager they supervised. This was a job which required much tact and patience. It was a great opportunity for me to have a complete knowledge of every position in the Division. I was posted with another promotion as the General Sales Manager for the Division. Generally my quick promotions and overtaking many peers did not create much rumbling. This time Mr. Benjamin, my classmate, who came from Calcutta after his Plantation job, did make a fuss. He was sent to Calcutta to be in charge of the Agri Division there.

I was posted as the Divisional Manager for the Agri Division South India with yet another promotion. Mr Benjamin did not do well in Calcutta. He resigned and moved to Bangalore to start his own wood processing unit. I had an excellent personal relationship with him and his family of 3 daughters. He seperated from his wife and was killed in his farm house near Bagalore, by robers,where he lived alone..

In another 3 years I was promoted and posted as the Divisional Manager for All India Agri Division in General Manager Cadre. The division did exceedingly well till 1982 and during this period I was awarded the chairman’s Gold Medal for performance. In 1983 we lost the very profitable Madras Fertiliser Distribution rights as MFL decided to distribute Fertilisers to retail dealers direct. As a part of cost reduction I had the unfortunate job of sending many executives, with whom I had worked closely, on VRS. Soon I was also moved out of the Division by the Chairman Mr. Acarya and posted me to look after the plantations in Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Chairman Acarya did not appreciate my disagreeing with many decisions for Agri Division). I liked this new job as it was all out door development work in the field. Our long lease with the government was ending and one of my difficult job was to get a renewal. I got this extension granted with my constant personal contacts at the Revenue Department and the Governors` Office.. I enjoyed walking early in morning through the hills and valleys of the plantation situated at 4 different part of the beautiful island around Port Blair. I return to our guest

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